William Dieterle was himself a German, starting his career in Germany and going back to Germany to finish it. This was one of his last American films, and the puzzling thing about it is its rather palpable detachment from the subject. It is surprisingly formal, and yet Dieterle had made some of the most compassionate films ever made in America, like "Love Letters" and "Portrait of Jennie" behind him. Here he is consistently cool, and not even Cosima Wagner is quite convincing with any warm and bleeding heart - in fact, she became notorious as the worst dinosaur in Europe after Wagner's death, which even Gustav Mahler had some problems with in his career. The one character in the film who is entirely convincing and makes the one sympathetic impression is Carlos Thompson as Franz Liszt - his quarrel with Wagner is almost the highlight of the film. Wagner himself is played by Alan Badel, one of the best English actors of the time, and you can almost sense some ambiguity in his relationship with the role as well. Wagner was after all the most controversial of all musical geniuses, and he confesses himself in the film that everyone is consumed by his fire, which Franz Liszt confirms in his definition of a genius as the devil. The film was made after the war, and no artist has ever been more misused by political propaganda than Wagner by the Nazis, who made him practically a god, and they were burned for it. The film is neat, it is well made, it is visually quite enjoyable, the acting is also good, while only king Ludwig II is not quite convincing - he was after all also a genius, and one of many who was betrayed by Wagner, which ruined him - nothing of that appears here. Most musical biopics are better, while only Dieterle's cool detachment in professional and impeccable style saves this one.
Review of Magic Fire
